The bookmaker at school

The parliamentary committee examining the possibility of levying a tax on the operations of bookmakers received testimony this afternoon from a teacher, who declared that, out of the forty-two pupils in her class, nineteen, aged 11 at age 12, gambled through bookmakers.

She added that her pupils' usual bookmaker accepted bets of a penny and that one of the schoolboys, who also collected bets, had made a profit of 30 shillings during the last season.

The affiant said that with the help of her colleagues she had tried to get the students in the area to give up the game, but found that many of them were supported by their parents.

She confessed that her efforts had remained fruitless and that her pupils, who, during recess, spoke only of horses and jockeys, having clubbed together one day to buy a "pipe", had the delicate attention to propose to her to play, in his name, a certain sum!